Neon sign



Feb. 7, 1939.

T. BOLAND ET AL NEON 10 Filed Jan.

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 NEON sIoN Thomas Henry Boland and Richard Cliften Arnold, Haverhill, Masa; said Arnold assignor tos'aidBoian Application January 29, 1937, Serial No. 122.939

2 Claims.

This invention relates to neon signs and has for its object a construction which adapts neon signs for uses for which, heretofore, they have been unsuitable.

A neon sign is brilliant and attractive and,

consequently, has displaced other types of 11- luminated signs to a large extent where illuminated signs of a more or less permanent character are desired. Thus, neon signs areused comm monly by stores, restaurants and the like, to display in brilliant illumination the name and general character of the establishment.

In such signs, a single neon tube or unit often forms the entire wording and in other cases two or more units are employed, eachof which form a word or group of letters. Neon units are op erated with high voltage and the conductors leading to and between each unit must be carefully insulated or maintained at least 1 from any un- 20 insulated object. Consequently, thesev signs have been constructed at the factory as permanent signs, the wording of which could not be changed except by return to the factory for reconstruction. Consequently, their field of use has been 25 restricted.

The present invention contemplates a neon sign construction, such that the copy or wording can be changed at will merely by interchanging neon units and adjusting the position of the units 30 to obtain proper spacing between letters and words. Thus, the invention makes practical the use of neon signs for advertising daily specials which may difler from day to day. It also makes possible the use of neon signs by threatres where th; entertainment is changed weekly or more The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

, Fig. l is a plan view of a sign embodying the invention and having the neon tubes removed;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken upon the lines 2-4 and- 3-4 respectively of Fig. 1;

Fig.4 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified 45 construction; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is 50 not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of Parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing,since the invention 'is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also on it is to be understood that the phrlogy or terminology employed hereinis for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and itis not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

One structure embodying the invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing and comprises a support Ill which, as

' shown, is a hollow elongated casing formed of sheet metal. The top of the casing I0 is provided with a longitudinally extending opening ll at the edges of which the sheet metal is folded to provide guide ways i2 and IS. A plurality of neon units l5, It, H and I8 are carried by the support It and each comprises apair of sockets 20 and 2| and a neon tube 22 having an electrode 23 at each end adapted to be detachably received in the sockets 20 and 29. Each of the sockets 20 and 2] is of similar construction and comprises a cup 25 of porcelain or other insulating material.

The cup 25 is provided with ears 25 projecting 2G outwardly therefrom and which are secured to a plate 21 by screws 29. The plate 21 is provided with an opening through which the upper end of the cup 25 projects. The ends of the plate 21 slidably engage the grooves i2 and I3 whereby the positions of the sockets and 2| may be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the structure. A U-shaped spring contact 39 is secured withinthe cup by a screw 3i passing through the bottom of the cup and held in place by a pair of nuts 32 which are threaded upon the outer end of the screw 3i. The screw 3| serves as a binding post.

Posts 33 and 34 of porcelain or other insulating material are suitably secured within the casing it near opposite ends thereof. ,The posts 33 and 34 are provided at their inner ends with binding posts 35 and 36 respectively. One lead 31 from the secondary of a. transformer 38 passes through a porcelain tube 39 fitted in an opening in the wall of the casing 10 and is connected to the binding post 35. The other lead 40 from the secondary of the transformer 38 passes through a porcelain tube 4| fitted in an opening in the easing Ill and is connected to the binding post 36.

A plurality of porcelain posts 45 are secured in spaced relation within the casing in near the bottom thereof by screws 36. A bracket having arms 47 and i8 is secured to the inner end of each of the posts M: by a screw 50. The bracket arms 5 t1 serve to support the lead 30 within the casing it. A trough 52 of Bakelite or other insulating material extends longitudinally within the g l below the sockets 2d and 2! of each of the neon units it, it, ll and i8 and is supported upon M V and secured to the bracket arms 48 by screws 63.

A flexible conductor in the form 01 a coil spring connects the binding post 35 with the binding post 3| carried by the socket 20 of neon unit 15. A similar flexible conductor 56 connects the binding post 36 and the binding post 8! carried by the socket 2| of neon unit 18. The binding posts 3| of sockets 20 and 2| ofadjacent neon units are connected by similar flexible conduc tors 5'1,

In the sign illustrated each neon tube 22 4 forms a single letter of the sign. I! it is desired to change the wording of the sign the neon tubes 22 are replaced by other neon tubes forming other letters. When thisis done the relative'positions of the neon tubes 22 must be changed by adjusting the position of the plates 21 in order to obtain the proper and desired spacing between the letters of the sign. The flexible conductors 55, 56 and 51 permit this adjustment of the letters while the insulating trough 52 effectively separates and insulates the conductors 55, 56 and 51 from adjacent uninsulated parts of the structure. It will be understood that the electrodes 23 at the ends of each of the neon tubes 22 may be spaced the same in all letters and in such. case the sockets 26 and 2| of each of the neon units may be carried by the same plate 21. When the changed wording contains less letters than the former wording of the sign, the neon tube oi the unused neon units may be replaced by a jumper.

apart different distances and it may be desirable to adjust transversely of the structure the relative positions 0! the sockets which receive the electrodes. Thus, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the socket 20' extends through an opening 59 in the plate 21'. The surface of the plate 21' may be provided with knurled portions an adapted to be engaged by the knurled edges "of a U-shaped plate 62 having an opening 63 for the passage of the upper'end of the socket 20. Bolts 64 pass through alined openings 65 .and 66 in the plates 62 and 2.1 respectively and are secured to the cars 26' on socket 20'. The heads 61 on bolts 64 normally engage the plate 62 and support the socket 20f. Springs 68 surrounding the bolts 64 are interposed between the ears 26' and the plate 21'.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the ends of the plates 21' carrying the sockets 26' slidably engage longitudinally extending guide ways l2 and l3"and are adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the structure. The sockets 20' are adjustable in a direction perpendicular thereto, or transverse of the structure, by lifting the plate 62 and the socket 20 against the action of the springs 68 and moving the socket to the desired position. The plate 62 is then released thereby permitting the spring 68 to hold the plate 62 in its normal position against the .plate 21'.

We claim: I 1. A neon sign comprising a support, a pair of spaced terminals carried by said support,.a plurality of neon units each having a pair of insulated sockets arid a neon tube connecting said sockets, means for separately adjusting the position of each of said sockets on said support, longitudinally extensible flexible conductors connecting adjacent sockets of adjacent units and spaced terminals carried bysaid support, a plurality 01 neon units each having a pair of insulated sockets and a neon tube connecting said sockets, means for mounting each of said sockets on said support for separate adjustment in perpendicular directions, longitudinallyextensible flexible conductors connecting adjacent sockets oi a'djacent units and connecting said terminals and sockets adjacent thereto, and a trough-like moms HENRY 30mm. RICHARD CLIFTEN ARNOLD. 

